Metro briefs

January 11, 2006|STAFF REPORTS

LAPORTE

Toy gun triggers response from police

A 16-year-old North Liberty boy perhaps learned a valuable lesson after drawing the attention of police with a toy gun. According to police, officers with the LaPorte County Sheriff's Office and LaPorte Police on Saturday night responded to a report of a possible gun pointed from a vehicle at another motorist on Indiana 2 near Rolling Prairie. One of the officers stopped the suspected westbound car along Indiana 2 on LaPorte's east side. Confiscated from under the front passenger seat was a toy gun the boy admitted to pointing. There were no arrests, but police contacted the parents of the boy and those of several other juveniles also inside the vehicle. MISHAWAKA

City suggests ways to ease traffic problems

The Mishawaka engineering department is suggesting that motorists look for different routes while the Logan Street bridge is closed for repairs. A news release said the timing of traffic signals at Main Street and Lincoln Way, Main Street and Mishawaka Avenue, and Main Street and Church Street has been changed in an attempt to ease problems. The city engineering department also requests that people with questions about the schedule for opening the bridge call the St. Joseph County engineer's office at (574) 235-9626.

Charges pending in sibling stabbing case

A 17-year-old Mishawaka man suspected of stabbing his brother in the back after an argument remains at the Juvenile Justice Center in South Bend pending charges on his case, according to a spokesperson for the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office. According to police reports, the stabbing took place Friday afternoon during a confrontation over clothing between the suspect and the 18-year-old in a home in the 300 block of West Third Street. The victim did not receive serious injuries, according to police.

Woman tells police of sexual assault

A Mishawaka woman told police Monday she was sexually assaulted by an unidentified male in a parking lot near her home. The victim had just locked her vehicle near her apartment in the 100 block of Pin Oak at 6:30 p.m. Sunday when she was grabbed from behind by the suspect, who then placed his hand on her breast and verbally harassed her, reports say. The victim, who suffers from an eye condition, told police she did not see the suspect.

Makeup days set for district students

School City of Mishawaka officials announced last week the makeup days for the Dec. 9 snow day and Jan. 2 school closing for New Year's Day observance. John Young Middle School and Mishawaka High School will be in session Friday, which was a day off for the end of the first semester. The school year for middle school and high school students will now end June 6. All elementary schools will now be in session March 27, which previously was scheduled as a teacher preparation day. Elementary students will end their school year on June 7.

Veterans' benefits meeting scheduled

Mishawaka American Legion Post 161, 133 E. Mishawaka Ave., will host a veterans' benefits seminar at 1 p.m. Jan. 28. The event will continue until the last question is answered, according to a press release. Dave Wilson, a service officer for the state office of the American Legion, will conduct the seminar. Health care usually proves to be the main topic for discussion at such events; however, other benefits for veterans will be discussed as well. Those attending don't have to be Legion members; the seminar is open to all veterans and any other concerned individuals. There is no cost, and no registration is required. For more details, call the post home at (574) 255-8319. SOUTH BEND

Health Department offers radon test kits

January is National Radon Action Month, and the St. Joseph County Health Department reminds residents that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is preventable. The department offers radon test kits for $15 and pamphlets on radon health risks and how to mitigate high radon levels in homes. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one in 15 homes nationwide has radon levels above the acceptable level. The rates may be higher in St. Joseph County. Radon, a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas, can accumulate in lower levels of homes. High levels of radon have been measured in many homes in St. Joseph County, and the Health Department recommends every home be tested. High radon levels can be significantly reduced through venting . For more information, call Jeff Muranski, environmental health specialist at the Health Department, at (574) 245-6762.